KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has pledged to continue helping the Indian community and to develop the country on an inclusive basis.
Najib also said he had a proven track record of delivering the government’s promises for the Indian community.
“I believe in developing this country on an inclusive basis. I will pay great attention to helping the Indian community,” he said at the launch of the 1st World Kongu Tamilar Conference at Stadium Negara today.
He said the government’s continuous efforts had helped preserve and safeguard the Tamil community’s language and culture.
“Students in Malaysia have the opportunity to learn Tamil right from pre-school level to tertiary level.”
Najib said that the government had approved the establishment of six new Tamil primary schools, in addition to the 524 existing Tamil primary schools in the country.
“Tamil language and Tamil literature are also taught at secondary schools.
“Our national Tamil radio, Minnal FM has 24-hour broadcast in Tamil and there are at least six Tamil dailies,” he said.
The event was organised by the Malaysia Kongu Tamilar Association, which represents 80,000 of the 200,000 Kongu Tamilar in the country.
Some 10,000 participants, as well as 2,000 delegates from 12 countries, attended the inaugural mammoth gathering.
The Kongu Tamilar community originated from the Kongu Nadu region in India, comprising the western part of Tamil Nadu and including parts of Karnataka and Kerala.
Addressing the foreign delegates, Najib reaffirmed his commitment to further strengthen bilateral trade between Malaysia and India.
“I believe there are many, many more opportunities for our two countries to work together, and I encourage all our visitors to think of Malaysia as a gateway to Asean,” he said.
Najib, who is also finance minister, pointed out that India has been the country’s largest export destination in the South Asian region since 1998.
“From 2003 to 2015, trade increased by more than four-fold. Last year, India was Malaysia’s tenth largest trading partner.”
He said thousands of jobs were created in local manufacturing projects with Indian participation, adding that Malaysia’s direct investments in India were valued at US$1.77 billion (RM7.22 billion) in 2014.
“We signed the Malaysia-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement in 2011, and declared an Enhanced Strategic Partnership last November, during (Indian) Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit.”
Najib said the two countries’ close cultural affinity allowed trade, tourism and education to flourish in both nations.
“Thousands of our children are studying in each others’ countries, and in 2014 and 2015, we welcomed three quarters of a million Indian tourists both years.”
Also present were MyPPP president Tan Sri M. Kayveas, India's High Commissioner T.S. Tirumurti, Kongu Nadu Malaysia Chapter president Datuk K. Subramaniam and former MIC president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel.